Valley Real Life · Small Groups
True North
Discover Who You Are. Live From What Is True.
Life has a way of pulling us off course. The expectations of others, our experiences, our failures, and the pressures of everyday life can shape how we see ourselves and what we believe about who we are.
But what if the truest thing about you isn't what you've accomplished, what you've experienced, or what others think of you? What if the most important place to begin is with what God says is true about you in Christ?
True North is an online small group experience designed to help you discover the truth of your identity in Christ and learn to live from it.
Together, we'll explore what Scripture says about who God is and who He has made you to be. Through honest reflection, meaningful conversation, and practical steps of faith, you'll have the opportunity to examine the beliefs that shape your life, recognize where you've drifted from God's truth, and begin responding to Him in new ways.
This isn't about trying harder to become someone God will love. It's about learning to trust who He says you already are in Christ—and allowing that truth to shape how you live, relate to others, and follow Jesus.
You don't have to have it all figured out. You simply need a willingness to be honest, open to God's truth, and ready to take your next step.
Let's discover our True North together—and learn to live from the truth of who we are in Christ.
Opening True North…
The ten truths of your identity in Christ that True North explores together.
God is righteous, and He has made us righteous in Christ.
Your worth is not something you must earn or prove. Through faith in Jesus, God credits Christ's righteousness to you and welcomes you as righteous in His sight. Your standing before God rests not on your performance, but on what Christ has accomplished for you.
GOD'S WORD
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:21NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
Romans 5:1NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:8–10NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
God is a Father who adopts us into His family.
In Christ, you are no longer an outsider trying to find a place. God has adopted you as His child and brought you into His family. You belong to Him because of His grace, not because you have earned a place or proved you deserve one.
GOD'S WORD
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”
Romans 8:15NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
Ephesians 1:4–5NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.
Ephesians 2:19NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
God is gracious and welcomes us through Christ.
You do not have to hide your weaknesses or achieve perfection to be welcomed by God. Through Jesus, you are reconciled to Him and received by grace. His acceptance gives you the freedom to be honest about who you are while trusting Him to transform you.
GOD'S WORD
Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.
Romans 15:7NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
Romans 5:8–11NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.
Ephesians 1:6NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
God is faithful, sovereign, and steadfast in His love.
Your security does not depend on your ability to control circumstances or guarantee outcomes. God remains faithful when life feels uncertain. Because you are in Christ, nothing can separate you from His love, and you can entrust your future to His care.
GOD'S WORD
What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:31–39NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5–6NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”
Hebrews 13:5–6NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
God is sufficient, and His power is made perfect in our weakness.
You do not have to be capable of everything to be useful to God. He invites you to depend on His grace, receive His wisdom, and grow in the abilities He provides. Your limitations do not disqualify you from His work; they can become places where His strength is displayed.
GOD'S WORD
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9–10NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
Philippians 2:13NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
God is purposeful, and He created us for His glory.
Your life matters because you are created in God's image and invited to participate in His purposes. You do not have to be indispensable, constantly needed, or widely recognized to live a significant life. God has prepared good works for you to walk in, and faithfulness to Him gives your life lasting meaning.
GOD'S WORD
Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.’ So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26–27NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:10NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.
Colossians 3:23–24NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
God is wise, good, and worthy of our complete trust.
You can release the need to be your own source of wisdom, security, and control. God sees what you cannot see, knows what you cannot know, and remains good even when His ways are difficult to understand. Surrender is not giving up; it is entrusting yourself to the One who is worthy of your trust.
GOD'S WORD
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5–6NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Romans 8:28NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
Psalm 23:1–4NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
God is love, and He has demonstrated His love through Christ.
You do not have to make yourself lovable before God will love you. He demonstrated His love for you while you were still a sinner, giving His Son for your salvation. His love is not a reward for your goodness; it is a gift that invites you to receive Him, rest in His love, and learn to love others.
GOD'S WORD
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. We love each other because he loved us first.
1 John 4:9–10, 19NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Romans 5:8NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Ephesians 3:17–19NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
God is merciful, just, and faithful to forgive.
Your failures are real, but they do not have the final word over your life. Because Jesus has borne your sin, you can confess honestly, receive God's forgiveness, and turn toward Him again. You no longer have to hide in shame or define yourself by your worst moments; God's grace invites you into repentance, restoration, and growth.
GOD'S WORD
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
1 John 1:9NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.
Psalm 103:8–12NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
God is the Creator who calls us to participate in His redemptive work.
Your purpose is not something you must invent to make your life meaningful. God created you for His glory, saved you by grace, and invites you to follow Jesus in the work He has prepared for you. You can discover and steward your gifts faithfully, trusting God to shape your direction as you walk with Him.
GOD'S WORD
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:10NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:14–16NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.
For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 1:9NLT
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission.